KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — De facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Parliament today that 39 MPs have changed parties since Election 2018 to date, causing political instability and jeopardising Malaysia’s practice of democracy.
He made the disclosure in his second tabling of a key amendment to the Federal Constitution that will pave the way for a much anticipated anti-party hopping law.
Wan Junaidi stressed that in matters of constitutional amendments, it is important for the government and the Opposition to unite to reassure voters in their choice of elected representatives and for the country’s socio-economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This situation has caused much debate and polemic among the public, as it involves the mandate or trust of the people who elect their representatives.
“Since the 14th general election, the country was faced with political unrest, until there were changes of incumbent prime ministers three times and the number of Malaysian Members of Parliament who switched parties, reaching up to 39 people.
“This is a clear sign that the democratic practice in the country now is not healthy and is at a worrying level,” Wan Junaidi said in the Dewan Rakyat.
Today’s special parliamentary session was called after the government proposed to add a new provision 3A under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution that would allow the enactment of federal laws to restrict freedom of association in relation to membership in a political party by elected representatives.
However, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill on Anti-Party Hopping, which was originally scheduled to be tabled, debated and passed at the session today, has been postponed to another special sitting which is yet to be decided.
The current government is led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob from Umno and postponed tabling the Federal Constitution (Amendments) 2022 Bill on Anti-Party Hopping and Limiting the Tenure of the Prime Minister for a second time last Wednesday.
The Bill was supposed to be tabled on Monday last week, but Wan Junaidi said the government needed more time to deliberate the definition of “party-hopping.”
